Tobacco rod forming method and means



Aug. 15, 1939 G. DEARSLEY ET AL TOBACCO ROD FORMING METHOD AND MEANS Filed Aug. 25, 1957 J INVENTQRS 8 a cm H ACK SHACKLETON BY seoraea DEARSLEY A TORNEY Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFlCE TOBACCO ROD FORMING METHOD AND MEANS poration of New Jersey Application August 25, 1937, Serial No. 160,810 In Great Britain August 28, 1936 Claims.

This invention relates to tobacco rod forming methods and means, such as are suitable for continuous rod cigarette making machines or the like, of the type wherein the filler is continuously built up or composed endwise by packing tobacco longitudinally in a passage or tube, the cross section of which approximates to or is only slightly greater than the cross-sectional area of the cigarette or other rod to be produced.

It will be appreciated that by packing or building up'the filler endwise inequalities in the longitudinal distribution of the tobacco feed have little or no effect upon the consistency of the rod per unit run and that such variations as may occur are due to irregularities in the density caused by differences in endwise pressure of the tobacco in the filler passage or tube.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method or means for packing the filler tube or passage in which the composition or density of the filler can be controlled. A further aim of the invention is to provide a method and means whereby anyone of various predetermined densities may be selected and reproduced uniformly in the formed rod to suit varying tastes or requirements concerning the final product.

The invention consists in feeding tobacco into a filfer passage or tube and progressively reducing the velocity of travel of the tobacco therein so that the filler is gradually built up by the controlled contraction of the tobacco stream. It will be appreciated that according to this method the velocity of the tobacco is reduced over a time period instead of abruptly as by changing from one predetermined velocity directly to another.

The control of the velocity of the tobacco in the passage may be effected by employing a passage forming surface (or surfaces) adapted to engage the tobacco which moves at a'progressively decreasing velocity and preferably a continuously decreasing velocity as distinct from a stepwise decrement.

According to one form the passage is constituted by upper and. lower (or outward and inner) walls located between a pair of driving discs and curved towards the axis thereof so that as the tobacco proceeds along the passage the velocity imparted to it by the disc surface decreases in proportion to the curvature towards the disc axis.

The invention also consists in positively feeding a stream of tobacco as by a pinned wheel or endless succession of pins onto a conveyor moving at a less linear speed than that of the pinned memher so that the filler is built up with a tube or the like lined by the slower moving conveyor.

In the accompanying diagrammatic drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of apparatus for carrying out the invention.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of apparatus.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 4.

In carrying the invention into effect according to one convenient mode, the delivery of the tobacco through the confining channel may be effected by a rotary pin wheel so arranged that at the delivery from the channel the pins become non-operative. This may be effected by providing movable pins and means adapted to cause their retraction, or the appropriate wall of the channel may have a groove through which the pins project, in which case the pins are fixed in the periphery of the drum and the axis of the latter is so arranged that the pins disappear into the channel formed in said wall as they reach the exit of the confining channel.

Thus, referring to Figures 1 to 3, the tobacco is delivered or showered on an endless band or conveyor In which at the delivery end passes through a troughing element II. The conveyor l9 advances the tobacco through a passage formed by a bridge piece 12, an upper wall l3 and side walls l4, into a groove or channel 15.

. In order to aid the travel of the tobacco across the bridge l2 a rotary pin wheel I6 is provided located above the layer of tobacco.

The groove or channel is formed between a pair of discs ll, l8, a pin wheel I9, and a concave element 26 which is arranged concentric with the axis of the wheel l9. The concave may be formed in one with the wall l3.

(lo-operating with the channel forming discs l1, l8 and pin wheel 19 is a pin wheel located between side discs 22, 23, which form a channel 24 which is a continuation of the channel Hi.

The discs l1, l8 are located within the discs 22 and 23 and in order to form a junction between the channels l5 and 24 the concave 20 extends between the discs 22 and 23 and up to the periphery of the pin wheel 2|. Further, an outer confining wall 25 associated with the pin wheel 2! has a portion extending between the discs I! and I8. These extensions of the concave 20 and wall 25 are divided to accommodate the pins '26 and 21 of the pin wheels 2| and [9 respectively.

'is eccentric to the pin wheel 2|. and associated with this eccentric part is a tongue piece 30 of tapered form which extends into the space between the discs 22, 23 and adjacent the pin drum. The tongue piece 30 is divided longitudinally to.

provide a slot for the pins 26 of the wheel, the arrangement being such that therpins as they progress along the channel 24 gradually recede below the surface of the tongue piece so that they are withdrawn from the tobacco being advanced along the confining channel.

The pin wheel 2| and the side discs 22 and 23 may be made integral or may be separate and suitably fastened together so that they. rotate at the same speed. The pin wheel I9 and discs I! and I8 may be similarly constructed.

The channel formed by the tongue 30 and wall V 25 and the discs 22 and 23 is of constant cross 1 section and the tobacco, passing along the channel is gradually pushed off the pins 26 so that at the point where the tobacco meets the garniture conveyor bandor' tape 23 it is being carried forward by the friction between it and the discs Hand 23, in addition to the pressure exerted by the tobacco being advanced by the pins at the rear, it being appreciated that the rate of travel of the tape or conveyor28 will be less than theperipheral velocity of the pin wheel 2|.

At the point where the pins 26 have ceased to function and the moving tobacco engages the slower moving paper on the tape 28, as the crosssectional area of the channel remains the same, a compacting of the stream of tobacco takes place so that the density of the tobacco 0n the moving paper web is more uniform than it would have been had no compacting taken place.

' The peripheral speeds of the pin wheels and the conveyor ID are approximately equal to each other and are arranged to be higher than the cigarette rod speed, i. e., the speed of the cigarette paper web. For example the peripheral speed of the pin wheels, etc., may be 50 per cent.

higher than the speed of the paper web. Suit able driving connections, such as the gears indicated schematically in Fig.1 at 38, 39, 40, 4| and 42, are provided to effect the desired speed ratio.

According to a modified arrangement (Figures 4 and 5) the tobacco is showered or delivered onto a feed band which may be of a type corresponding to that shown in Fig. '3 at H], and described with reference thereto, being arranged horizontally and from the end of which the tobacco is delivered into a confining passage or conduit I29 formed by a spaced pair of rotatable discs 36, 3| which comprise the side walls of the conduit and are mounted to rotate upona horizontal axis. The other'walls of the conduit are formed by two curved elements 32, 33 which lie between the discs. The curved portions of these elements are arranged eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the' side discs 36, 3| such that at the entry (upper) end for the tobacco the elements 32, 33 are located at a greater distance from the axis of the discs than at their delivery (lower) end. The curved portions of the walls or elements extend for about 90 (although the angle of the curve may be less or greater than 90) with respect to the rotary discs,

region substantially vertically disposed beneath the axis of the discs, and discharging beyond the periphery thereof.

At the delivery end of the elements 32, 33 a take-off conveyor comprising the garniture tape 34 is provided which supports the cigarette paper web 35 by which the tobacco from the conduits is received and by which it is conveyed to the rod forming mechanism.

The speed of travel of the feed conveyor which delivers the tobacco tothe upper end of the conduit is greater than that of the take-off conveyor 34, 35 and may be as high as 50 per cent. greater. The desired speed ratio is secured by suitable driving connections, such as the gears I31, I38, I42, indicated schematically in Fig. 4. The space between the discs 30, 3| and the radial distance between the curved elements 32, 33 are such that the conduit 291'has a rectangular cross-sectional area substantially conforming to the circular cross-sectional area of the cigarette rod, diminished, however, by the lateral compression that the 'rod undergoes when passing through the garniture.

By the arrangement of the curved wall elements 32, 33 eccentric to the axis of the discs 36,

3| the tobacco will be conveyed by the action of the discs at a progressively decreasing velocity so that there will be a progressive building up 'or packing of the tobacco asit passes through the conduit. The retarding effect is completed at the point of delivery to the paper wra'pper 29 and garniture mechanism 28, so that the uni formity of the rod structure is increased.

Instead of the discs 36,. 3| a hollow conical element may be provided having a helical or volute slot which is adapted to form the conduit for the tobacco. This slotted element remains stationary y and movement of the tobacco through the con-- duit is effected by inner and outer rotary mem bers which conform to the inner and outer surfaces of the coned element. Conveyors are associated with the ends of the slot for delivery of tobacco thereto and discharge of tobacco therefrom. The movement of the tobacco through the conduit is toward the apex of the coned element and thus the tobacco will attain the prothe band in a horizontal plane it may be inclined downwardly toward the delivery end thereof.

Instead of the feed band travelling at a greater gressively decreasingvelocity resulting in a pro- I speed than the discharge band for the channel it may in some; circumstances travel at a slower speed, depending upon the amount of tobacco fed thereon from the feeding device.

We claim 1. Mechanism for the formation of a tobacco f rod or filler comprising a belt conveyor for receiving a shower of tobacco and advancing it in a stream tolatransfer station, a wheel device to which the said stream is delivered at said transfer station and which acts as means for feeding said stream into a garniture mechanism including a belt conveyor moving at a lower speed than said feeding means, said wheel devicebeing formed in part by a pairof discs spaced apart to define one dimension of the stream and aiding frictionally in' its advancement, and stationary means between said discs spaced apart to define the delivery end I29 extending horizontally at a the other dimension of said stream, constituting with the discs a channel from which the stream is discharged to the slower moving conveyor and is built up within a passage formed in part by said slower moving conveyor.

2. Mechanism for forming a tobacco rod or filler having the features claimed in claim 1, in which said wheel device comprises a series of wheels including a pinned wheel for positively feeding said stream of tobacco on to said conveyor moving at a lower speed than the peripheral speed of the pinned wheel so that the filler is built up within a passage formed in part by the slower moving conveyor, the peripheral speed of said series of wheels being substantially greater than the speed of the garniture mechanism.

3. Mechanism for forming a tobacco rod or filler as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wheel device comprises a series of wheels including a pinned wheel and provision is made of means forming a confining channel arranged eccentric to said last named wheel, said channel having an inner wall formed by a tapered tongue piece, said tongue piece being slotted for the passage of the pins whereby the pins gradually recede from the stream of tobacco as it approaches the outlet from the confining channel.

4. Mechanism for forming a tobacco rod or filler as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wheel device comprises a series of wheels including a pinned wheel and provision is made of means forming a confining channel arranged eccentric to said last named wheel, said channel having an inner wall formed by a tapered tongue piece,

said tongue piece being slotted for the passage of the pins whereby the pins gradually recede from the stream of tobacco as it approaches the outlet from the confining channel and wherein the stream of tobacco from the confining channel is delivered on to a cigarette web supported upon the conveyor.

5. Mechanism for forming a tobacco rod or filler comprising a cigarette web conveyor, a rodformer including a confining channel for the stream of filler tobacco, said channel having an inner wall formed by a tapered tongue piece with an overhead longitudinal slot, and an endless traveling member provided with an endless series of pins projecting from said member through said slot into the path of the stream of filler tobacco therewithin, means to move said member to advance said pins successively along said path at a rate adequate to densify said filler stream, and means constructed and arranged to cause a relative stripping movement as between said tapered tongue piece and said pins whereby the filler rod is positively withdrawn progressively from said pins in a direction substantially parallel with their length, as the stream approaches the outlet from said confining channel, and the stream is delivered into the cigarette wrapper web with a positive compressive action exerted by the pins axially of the filler rod.

GEORGE DEARSLEY. J CK. A ACK 'I'ON, 

